Light steps.

There was a blue light from a distance, and the sound of wooden sandals hitting the floor came from it.

"Where the hell are the altars? I've been walking for a while now."

Yeong-jeon frowned, glancing at his sides.

'I should have memorized this place better.'

Yeong-jeon knew of this place but in actuality, he never even stepped foot in this place. He thought of it as a library full of books. Nothing more.

'I could've sworn that there's an altar somewhere here...'

He ran his hand over one of the shelves as he passed by, feeling the rough texture of the worn wood. The titles on the spines of the scrolls blurred together, none of them giving him any clue about the altars he sought. His frown deepened as his mind raced.

Although the shelves were full of books, there was something off about the space. He stopped abruptly, noticing how some of the shelves seemed slightly out of place.

Thunk! Thunk!

The sound of a metal being hit came from the other side.

'What?!'

Was there a man on the other side? If not, then who is banging on the other side of this shelf?

He placed both hands on the shelf and pushed it gently. It barely budged, but there was a faint creak, the sound of wood grinding against stone. A hidden mechanism, perhaps?

He pressed harder, channeling a bit of qi into his arms. The shelf moved, revealing a large metal door but the presence it emitted was something harder than a metal.

Thunk! Thunk!

The banging continued and it only got louder when Yeong-jeon opened the shelf.

After a while, the hitting stopped, and the voice of an old man spoke from the other side.

"I can't even open it..."

Yeong-jeon's eyes widened. It was a familiar voice. A voice he had heard when he first came here.

'S-Sect leader?!'

'If that's truly the sect leader, then he knew of this place from the start? How come he doesn't just open this and use the manuals here for the disciples?'

"I'm sorry... This sect is in ruins because I'm weak..."

The sect leader's voice was filled with helplessness.

Yeong-jeon stayed quiet. He was listening to a man who was drowned in sadness. The silence between them stretched on for a moment, and he could hear the faint rasp of the sect leader’s breathing from behind the door. He pressed his ear closer to the crack between the shelf and the door, trying to catch every detail.

"I'm too powerless to even..."

"Even open this door..."

The sect leader knew that what lies behind this door was the solution to all their problems. But there was nothing he could do to unveil this...

The Thunderous Sky Sect's martial arts are in ruin and wealth is dwindling day by day.

How would it feel if you saw everything slowly fall apart?

As the leader, he must be strong... But sometimes he wondered, is he even capable of being something his children can depend on?

His heart aches every time he looks at this metal door. The solution lies inside, but there is nothing he can do to open it.

Enduring this sadness...

That was all he could do.

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Yeong-jeon's heart felt cold. Hearing the sect leader's defeated voice made him want to blame himself.

If only he had been stronger...

This suffering would have been prevented.

'I'm at fault... I'm sorry...'

If he saw the sect leader's figure right now, how would he feel?

If hearing the man's voice was enough to make him ache, how would he feel seeing the sect leader in this state—broken, defeated, and overwhelmed by the weight of his responsibilities?

Yeong-jeon clenched his fists, the guilt settling heavily in his chest.

'As long as I'm here... I would make sure to bring this sect's glory back...'

He took a few steps back and turned away from the door leading to the sect leader's residence.

'I can't let this hinder me...'

'The sect must prosper.'

Yeong-jeon came here to retrieve the sect's lost martial arts. With this, the disciples would be strong and be known. He continued walking, his steps now more determined than before. The air around him felt heavier with the knowledge of the sect leader’s burden, but it also fueled his resolve.

As he walked, he felt strange. The hallway seemed to have narrowed as if the walls were closing in on him.

'I can't fail... Not now.'

Yeong-jeon gritted his teeth and quickened his pace, the faint blue light ahead becoming more focused. The hallway narrowed further until he was practically squeezing through, but he refused to stop. The walls seemed to pulse with a strange energy as if they were testing his resolve.

Finally, the hallway opened up again, and Yeong-jeon found himself in a dimly lit chamber. At the center was a single stone altar, glowing faintly with a soft blue light.

There were five portraits each on an old paper, lining the walls around the altar. They depicted ancient figures, each one dressed in the traditional garb of the Thunderous Sky Sect, their eyes filled with determination and wisdom.

'This must be it. The altar of the five founding pillars of this sect.'

There were tables placed in front of the portraits. However, they were empty.

'Empty?! How? No one else went here before, right?'

His eyes went to the portrait of the first sect leader.

Fortunately, unlike the others, there is a small handbook placed on the table with an incense holder on it.

Yeong-jeon cautiously approached the first table, his eyes fixed on the small handbook resting there.

'So, the first sect leader left this behind...'

He picked up the handbook with reverence, feeling the weight of its history in his hands. As he carefully opened it, the worn pages revealed detailed instructions, diagrams of martial forms, and annotations scribbled in the margins.

Seven Lightning Stances.

This is it. Yeong-jeon had found it. The root of the Thunderous Sky Sect. If this was taught to the disciples, the sect would regain its lost martial arts.

However, a problem arises.

'How would I give this to the sect leader?'

If he randomly gave this to the sect leader, of course, he would be questioned.

"Sect leader! Martial arts!"

"Where'd you got this?"

"Uh..."

Then...

What if he taught this to the disciples instead?

"You taught them our lost martial arts that even I don't know?"

"Yah!"

"Where'd you know it?"

"Uh..."

Yeong-jeon shook his head.

'Not working.'

He had found the key to the sect's revival, but how could he reveal it without raising suspicion? The sect leader didn't even know this handbook existed, and if Yeong-jeon suddenly produced such a treasure, questions would surely arise.

'There must be a way…'

He stared at the altar, his thoughts drifting back to the sect leader's sorrowful words. The burden of the sect's downfall weighed heavily on the old man, and Yeong-jeon knew that he couldn't simply hand this over and expect everything to be solved.

'What if I just...'

Tomorrow morning.

The sun shone through the window, hitting the sect leader's face and waking him up.

He slowly stirred awake. And he looked outside his window, letting out a sigh.

"The Wudang hasn't been sending us provisions..."

He can't help but look at the skies. Is his ancestors looking at him with disappointment? Ever since he had been given the position of the sect leader, the burden of being the father of the sect's disciples had been hefty.

It'll be only a few months or weeks from now on till this sect runs out of supplies.

Before, in the glory days, it has been said that the Thunderous Sky Sect only selects a select few individuals as disciples.

But now, to keep this sect alive, he had to accept all who were seeking shelter.

After him, who will become the next sect leader? Will they be able to carry his burden?

He feared it.

He didn't want anyone to bear the problems he couldn't solve by himself.

Tak! Tak! Tak!

Unbeknownst to him, someone was rushing into his room.

"Sect leader!"

The sect leader instantly turned his head to the door.

"In-su? What is it?"

He hurriedly went to the door and opened it, revealing In-su who has an expression that can't be explained.

"What brings you here?"

In-su spoke with urgency.

"I don't know! Something appeared in the temple!"

"I see. Lead the way."

"Yes!"

The sect leader followed In-su through the hallways, his heart heavy with anxiety. He had been preparing himself for bad news, expecting another blow to the already crumbling sect. As they reached the temple, he stopped in his tracks.

In-su slowly opened the door, and a blue glow emanated from the inside.

"What...?"

"What is this...?"

Inside the temple, something had indeed appeared. The portraits of the five founding figures of the sect adorned the walls, but his eyes were drawn to the small handbook resting on the first table.

In-su gestured towards it. "Sect leader… that handbook. It looks ancient. I’ve never seen it before."

The sect leader’s hands trembled as he approached the table. His eyes fell upon the title, Seven Lightning Stances. He froze, his breath catching in his throat.

Beside it was a small orb, emitting a blue light.

"A light orb?!"

Before, this temple was empty, but surprisingly, there was an altar containing the portrait of the five founding pillars of the Thunderous Sky Sect.

The sect leader slowly grabbed the light orb. His hands were shaking, but he controlled it so as not to drop it.

"It's real! A light orb!"

In-su's eyes went wide as he heard that.

"A true light orb?!"

It was said that in the course of millennia, an ore containing qi was condensed and purified into what became known as a light orb.

The sect leader stared at the orb in disbelief, feeling its power hum in his hands.

"How… how did this appear here?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

In-su, equally astonished, shook his head. "I don't know, Sect Leader. It was just… here."

The sect leader's mind raced. The Seven Lightning Stances and a light orb together? This was a miracle—something that could change the fate of the Thunderous Sky Sect. He placed the orb carefully back on the altar, his heart pounding.

He smiled happily. He didn't know how to react. How did this appear here? There were many questions. But what matters is that this can be the solution to their problems.

Grabbing the handbook, his hand was shaking uncontrollably, he was afraid. The paper was old and seemed to have been written centuries ago. Recklessness could lead to this handbook being torn.

He carefully guided his hand to flip the page and his eyes widened as he saw the intricate diagrams of martial forms. The Seven Lightning Stances were laid out in exquisite detail, their power emanating from the pages. The techniques were unlike anything he'd seen in years, a forgotten treasure of the Thunderous Sky Sect.

Tears welled up in his eyes. "This... This is our salvation."

He spoke what was written on the paper.

"The Seven Lightning Stances is a martial art I've created to resemble the fast and bright strikes of lightning..."

"My only wish is if this was ever developed, please, don't stop teaching this..."

"This is the root and not learning this is equivalent to not embracing my teachings."

Yeong-jeon watched from the shadows, his heart pounding as the sect leader's voice cracked with emotion. He hadn't expected the scene to unfold this way—he had merely wanted to place the manual there discreetly so that he wouldn't have to give this directly to the sect leader.

But seeing the old man's reaction, made him smile, and a wave of emotions washed over him. He had made a promise to himself to revive the sect, and now, seeing the sect leader reignited with hope, he knew that the path forward was clearer than ever.

He turned away from the temple, walking towards the boarding house. The foundation of this sect has been returned but this is not the end.

'I promise this, Father, I will make this sect surpass its past.'